1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of mass fabrication of customized items, and more particularly to a method for packaging such items in a predetermined sequence.
2. Description of the Related Art
Virtually all consumer products are sold in packages, such as cardboard cartons, boxes, bags, and other types of containers. A box or carton, for example, is typically formed from a sheet of corrugated cardboard or carton board through a series of manufacturing operations, such as folding and gluing, used to transform the sheet of work material into a carton or box having a desired structural design. Further operations may add additional features to the package, such as the application of labels and stickers. Eventually, the box is filled with a desired content, and then sealed and (optionally) labeled. Frequently, the items packed in the box are first placed in inner packages, such as plastic bags, small boxes, plastic cases, shrink-wrap packs, and the like; thereby further adding to the packaging costs. Containing the cost of the packaging operation, while maintaining quality, is an important aspect of the overall manufacturing cost structure.
The packaging of mass-fabricated custom items, or “mass-customized” items, presents further challenges. Each mass-customized item is unique, while belonging to a group or class based on common features. Examples of mass-customized items could include such things as form-fitting hearing aids, clothing, athletic devices (e.g., pads, protectors and the like), and prosthetic devices. One particular example of a mass-customized item is the type of orthodontic appliance known as a dental repositioning aligner, which may be a clear, elastic dental repositioning appliance created by thermoforming a thin sheet of polymeric material over a mold of a desired dentition arrangement, as described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,893, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. These aligners are formed in a set for each individual patient, with each set including a series of aligners (anywhere from two to over one hundred unique aligners each distinct in configuration) generated for a specific sequence of dentition repositioning steps, usually for each of the upper and lower dental arches. Thus, each individual patient will normally require a series of aligners, in pairs for the upper and lower arches, wherein each upper/lower aligner pair must be worn in a predetermined sequence of stages (each stage comprising, typically, an upper/lower aligner pair). The aligners must be properly identified and packaged, with each package including the aligners for a single patient, preferably (but not necessarily) packed in a predetermined sequence (typically, in reverse order of the stages from bottom to top). The package or box for each patient must then be provided with the appropriate identification label.
In the past, many of the packaging procedures for mass-customized items such as dental aligners have involved laborious manual operations. Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient system and method to improve productivity by automating as many of these steps as possible, while assuring that accurate packaging in the proper sequence for the items in each package is accomplished.